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Shifa Somji enjoys learning, playing, and reading about chess.

In my quest to attract and retain more girls in chess, I often find myself treading the path of Susan Polgar. Susan has contributed greatly to women chess to get it to a place where it enjoys today. In 2003, she successfully organized the first ever all-girls tournament in the United States. The Susan Polgar National Invitational for Girls, which is now SPF Girl’s Invitational (SPFGI), has become the premier tournament for girls in the country with an annual budget of $250,000. She correctly points out that "there is still a social stigma, according to which, girls are not supposed to want to become firefighters, mathematicians, engineers, or (yes!) chess players, etc." Spot on, Susan!

Susan suggests a specific three step approach for girls who want to succeed at chess. She urges girls to train really hard and rely on their support structures for emotional, physical, and material support. Girls must avail all opportunities to compete at the highest levels and not be afraid to speak up when they face aggressive and unwanted behaviors from male opponents. Susan broke the proverbial glass ceiling by becoming the first woman in history to earn the grand master title. She was soon followed by her sister Judit and Pia Cramling from Sweden as they too became grand masters of chess.

​While women chess has come a long way in the last decade, there is a long way to go. We must build upon Susan's great work in our quest of empowering women. She succinctly point out that "those who do not learn history are doomed to repeat the same catastrophic failures!”